As far as accupuncture, I witnessed incredible success with my dog with lymphoma. There is no placebo affect with dogs. The improvement would last about two weeks. This was terminal but she lived five months beyond the original prognosis and did not suffer.

I tried St. John's Wort many many years ago (before I started studying psychology at university) and it made it worse. It's also been found that it causes long-term problems. "Natural" isn't the same as "safe." Anti-depressants are typically safer. One huge issue is that herbal/dietary supplements don't have to be tested for safety before being sold in stores. Anti-depressants do. Side effects with St John's Wort are similar to the side effects of @Prozac EXCEPT that with St John's Wort, they're much more common and severe. It can cause panic attacks, spikes in blood pressure, insomnia (which can make depression worse), etc. There are actually MORE health risks with St John's Wort as compared to anti-depressants.

As for acupuncture and most "alternative therapies," the only reason they're ever effective is due to the placebo effect. I'm a psychology student and have had years of studying this subject. The placebo effect is why they're "effective." Those treatments don't hold up in clinical research.

As for hypnotism, ONLY go to a psychologist who has either their PhD of their PsyD from an accredited university. Do not go to anyone who does not have their doctorate and who is not a mental health professional. EMDR is considered hypnotism in many circles and it is widely effective in treating PTSD. However, there are a lot of quacks who will charge you an ungodly amount of money to perform nonsense that equates to psychic "healings" (it's all bull). Doctors who accept insurance for their treatments are more credible. Do your research before scheduling any appointments with anyone. Be skeptical.